Neighbors Thank Firefighters

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MINERSVILLE -- Two families are salvaging what they can after a fire hit their double block home in Minersville.

Families in neighboring properties are relieved the fire in Schuylkill County wasn't worse.

Firefighters from Minersville and surrounding departments were met with balls of flames. Officials said the fire began in one side of a double block home and spread to the other side on Pine Hill Street around 2:45 p.m. Sunday.

Investigators believe the blaze started in a basement kitchen.

For the first time since the fire was put out the victims were allowed back in their homes to see what could salvage.

Some neighbors including Ted Quintinsky, were impressed with the way firefighters were able to save nearby homes.

"The firefighters did a real good job. They were fast to get here. Actually they saved my house from going up, too." Quintinsky said.

Ted Quintinsky explained he invested a lot of hard work hard to fix up his house.

“When we bought this house two years ago, it was condemned when we bought it. We rebuilt the whole house and made it a family home for us."

The fire was so intense that neighbors could easily see it.

Lorraine Rhody said the latest blaze reminds her of a fire years ago in the neighborhood.

"Shaken, shaken a lot, it was scary because we had a bad one. Ticki's, when that burned, that was close, too you know? It was bad."

While neighbors watched crews from a Mountain View Restoration company wasted no time in getting to work.

One of the owners, Tom Grahan, said he has his work cut out for him.

"We're going to board up the roof, put a tarp on the roof because there is holes in the roof, and secure all the windows, so nobody goes in there looting, nobody, no children go in there to play."

A state police fire marshal is working with Minersville police and fire officials to determine what started the blaze.